Department Seminar - Dr Dobril Ivanov, Sêr Cymru Fellow Cardiff University

Please see below the next Department Seminar which will be featuring Dr Dobril Ivanov, Sêr Cymru Fellow Cardiff University, UK Dementia Research Institute Emerging Leader.

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterised by progressive cognitive decline, molecular changes not limited to the accumulation of beta-amyloids (extracellular Aß plaques) and tau tangles in the human brain. An accurate diagnostic in early (preclinical) and late stages of the disease is a prerequisite not only for the successful application of potential treatments, but also for the correct stratification of individuals for clinical trials.

We frequently use a mathematical aggregate (i.e. a single value) of the genetic baseline risk conferred by thousands of DNA variants (Polygenic Risk Scores) to estimate the likelihood for developing a disease in an individual with high prediction accuracy. Nevertheless, we know little of the molecular mechanisms behind this aggregate genetic risk.

To understand the molecular mechanisms behind Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS) we used gene-expression data from the largest brain-derived human cohort of AD samples (Accelerated Medicine Partnership) and compared disrupted biological pathways in PRS and a case/control classification. Using an integrative computational analysis of the transcriptome of AD case/control and PRS, we replicated a number of previously implicated biological mechanisms, e.g. immune and stress response, response to abeta, lipid, cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism. I will also present novel biological mechanisms that are more than likely to play a crucial role in the development/progression of AD.

Host: Augustin Hrvoje

For more information about upcoming Departmental Seminars please visit: https://royalholloway.ac.uk/research-and-teaching/departments-and-schools/biological-sciences/events/